Skyairworld to Honiara

[ringin]

I see that Skyairworld is now operating a daily service to Honiara from Brisbane. Just wondering how long they can endure their current loadings?

Not everyone can continue to carry 0/0 for too long. Yes one day they did carry 10 one way but surely it must be hurting.

How deep is the pocket??

[amos2]

You don't think for one moment, surely, that SAW would operate a service to a place like the Solomons without some guarantee of remuneration?

Get real!

[ads1963]

Do you think they are in the charity aviation business? My guess is that they have a guaranteed number of seats paid for by Solomon Airlines and this will cover their expenses and some tips.

[Ralph the Bong]

Solomon Airlines has signed off on a 5 year contract with another company. They have no income stream from seats sold through Solomon Airlines and are going it alone. The backers of SAW must have deep pockets!

[Kwaj mate]

Amos, you have to be kidding.
Under the terms of the IASC approval, SAW is not permitted to code-share on the route. SAW has also told the local aviation authority they will run the ERJ on domestic services into Munda (when it is sealed) and compete with Solair.
Why or how could Solair then guarantee SAW minimum revenue?

[witwiw]

Munda needs more than just sealing :}

[sayallafter]

Will certainly be interesting when Pac Blue take up their 360 IASC seat allocation.

That will make Solair 732 Vs SAW170/190 Vs PacB 738.

Bets on who will be the last airline standing?

[ringin]

My info is that Pac Blue will not be taking up that option. So I suppose that leaves the 732 as the winner!

And isn't that the same company that signed off on the 5 year deal with Solomon Airlines??? (According to Ralph)

Oz something I believe........??? :E

[yowie]

Yep those fuel prices are gunna make that 732 the big winna:}

[ithinkso]

I believe AIR VAN are out soon too.

[Kwaj mate]

Perhaps 'ithinkso' has heard in part that: (a) FJ may increase frequency NAN-HIR-NAN via VLI; (b) NF may code share with FJ over the route; & (c) ON will return into MAJ & fly MAJ-TRW-NAN vv with CW rights.
We will get our southern connections back, & FJ will have competition for i-Kiribati travelers, plus economical fares may return to the region.

[DingoMuddy]

Me thinks kwaj mate is very well informed!:D

[Kwaj mate]

and a bit of common sense

[teaki]

give SAW some breathing space mate. um sure they know what they are doing. give them the benefit of doubt.

on the other hand, its time solomon airlines get some competition. monopoly has the national airline set the airfare unrealisticly high. maybe now they'll have more visitors into the country seeing the airfare is low for the national airline. just wondering if they can economicly keep their labour force happy!!:)

[Kwaj mate]

I have heard that chartering the NF aircraft is adding a lot of value to IE's bottom line. This will ensure the continued viability of IE's international services and the SAW management will have to work hard. Of course a daily flight will win over infrequent services, subject to similar facilities being offered.
Does anyone know how the Solair CEO vs CFO battle is raging internally; and who are the current Board members?
An update someone?

[teaki]

:ugh::ugh:News-National

Elizabeth Ramoni flies out from Solair
Tuesday, 15 April 2008


ONE of the best known local pilots with Solomon Airlines, Elizabeth Ramoni, has resigned, amidst suggestions local pilots need a better deal.

“Yes, I have resigned because of internal matters that need to be sorted out by Solomon Airlines management,” she said yesterday.

She refused to discuss in detail the internal matter but said that local pilots needs to be recognised.

Solomon Airlines chief executive Ron Sumsum said he will comment today after seeing what was said in this report.
Mr Sumsum is himself a jet pilot, and was the most senior ni Vanuatu captain with Air Vanuatu before joining Solomon Airlines.

Sources within Solomon Airlines said there is concern over differences in the employment conditions of local and expatriate pilots.

Solomon Airlines has to employ a multinational group of pilots to fly its three Twin Otter and one Britten Norman Islander aircraft.

Like most Pacific Islands airlines, it loses highly-trained local pilots and engineers to aviation operators in other parts of the world.

Jet pilots in particular are in demand as aviation expands globally. Major regional carriers such as Fiji’s Air Pacific have to make increasing use of expatriate contract pilots after losing local pilots to high-paying airlines in the Middle East.
It has also been recruiting and training more pilots from Fiji’s domestic airlines and flying schools.

Solomon Airlines is understood to have also lost ground engineers to Australian operators after investing heavily in training them.

It was unable to compete with the packages the engineers were offered and the attraction of the much stronger Australian dollar.

One source within Solomon Airlines - who spoke on condition of not being named - said if the airline wants to retain its local pilots it will need to pay them the same way it pays the expatriates.

This source said this is because of frustration over some less experienced expatriate pilots appearing to get better conditions than local captains.

However, Solomon Airlines has to offer these conditions to be able to attract the expatriate pilots to work in the Solomon Islands.

By EDNAL PALMER


.....just wondering when this will stop!!!!! Really need to overhaul the airlines management, they're paid big "bucks" but their managerial styles left so much to be desired!!! Maybe they should leave and let someone competent and capable to take over!!

[donkey punch]

problem is, the local pilots can't pass their atpls and therefore can't get jobs anywhere else, so sol air can pay them whatever they want and will continue to do so

[apacau]

Anyone have any updates on SAW's BNE-HIR loads? Any talk of the E190 replacing the E170 on these routes.

And whilst we're on the topic of SAW, what's the deal with the E145s reportedly coming? When are they due and what routes are they planning on using them for?

[ithinkso]

The girly who resigned did exactly the right thing. If you're unhappy, just leave. Only then will management realise that it is cheaper in the long run to retain employees, rather the constantly retrain.

The problem is local captains, and first officers are far below the standard of the expats. This is true in 95% of cases. Not racist but true. Sorry.

[Kwaj mate]

It is reported that FJ have taken over flight duties of the NAN-VLI code-share pool, freeing up NF capacity for other regional opportunities; & hear some of my other predictions in the region are in the process of confirmation as well.

[17pdboost]

I think so,

Then the Solomon's must fall within your remaining 5%, while there are no local fo's to date, the captains are as skilled as any expat ive flown with and deserve a fair go. And some of them do have their ATPL's, they just wish to stay in their own country with family etc.. time will tell
:ok:

[blackbandit]

Sorry mate,

was there not more than a few years ago. with the exception of one local solomon islander pilot, the rest have a snowflakes chance in hell when compared to pilots of similar hours. They are simply undisiplined, lazy, and basically incompetent. As for the expats there, if they cant get a real job in the real world, paying real money, i would not take their opinions with anything other than a VERY LARGE GRAIN OF SALT. Get real idiot!!!!!

[Heavy Cargo]

SOL AIR have a long deal now with HVY/OZ Seems Sky Air world will be off the BNE HON route shortly. The SA CEO and senior mgrs were in Honiara BEGGING to do a deal with SOL AIR ? No deal :{ The JT8s will always win.

[Skystar320]

what contract? there is no contract.............................

[sayallafter]

Noticed that one of SAW's E170 Brissie to Honiara load consisted of 5 or 6 pax.

Loads like that must hurt the bottom line, especially on a 3 hour flight....must be 5 grand or so just in fuel, not to mention all the other costs!!

[witwiw]

A pretty regular ocurrence and there has hardly been an occasion when they have carried around 20 pax. Like you say, the bottom line must be hurting - especially when you consider, of the cheapest return fare BN-HN-BN of $695, some $195 goes in taxes so not a lot left to pay for salaries, fuel, operating costs etc ertc.

[apacau]

Slightly off-topic (but what's new on this forum? :}), Skyairworld will commence 3x weekly services BNE-Cloncurry-CNS flights with E145s according to the local rag in Brisbane.

[megle2]

And should prove a popular service I would think.

[tourismman]

The ERJ-145 is currently in Cyprus on it's delivery flight.

Regards.

[Kwaj mate]

Wish we had a -145 up here. MAJ is just about right for regional services in this region, giving it the ability to fly direct into NAN, INU, HIR, TRW & westbound with a one-stop service into GUM. But as our domestic services have been highly disrupted over the past months it is difficult to consider anything beyond out own borders. Where is the ON service to NAN that they promised?

[Flying Monk]

Probably waiting for some bureaucrat to sign a piece of paper - presuming the Fiji power brokers have finally understood they cannot have the monopoly over the NAN TRW route they believe they are entitled too!

[feenix]

Kwajmate
Why do you keep pretending to be from Majuro when you really reside in Australia. If you did reside in Majuro and read the local papers you would know where the promised ON service is at, and that promises involve two parties!!

[Kwaj mate]

I read the papers, but what is the truth behind the info that we are provided.
Dan has done the right thing and acted accordingly, but what are the real issues? There is more to this than is printed locally. Are we not to question the local media?

[Mach E Avelli]

Thread Drift?

[teaki]

blackbandit mate,

take it easy, no need to be abusive! maybe the local pilots have done their flying trainings somewhere in the outer space to have lacked the required standards as exparts.:confused:..........and anyone not in their right state of mind will ever suggest any pilot working for solomon airlines lazy!!!:ugh:.

[yowie]

Kwaj,
Just wait,it may just happen:ok:

[ithinkso]

TEAKI, mate get out and have a look around. If you dont consider them to be lazy, you have no idea. Dont know about these days, but in the recent past. they wouldnt get out of bed if it was raining. Would cancel flights if the weather was a bit bad, regardless of fuel loads available. They wouldnt last anywhere in the real world.